Dining Around The Desert: Camden Cellars Wine Bar, Indio

Camden Cellars Wine Bar, nestled in the Ralph's Shopping Center on 50th and Jefferson, has quickly become a standout in the Valley's dining scene. Taking up the former space of Old Tu Madres, it boasts a spacious patio, a welcoming bar area, and indoor dining.

The menu at Camden Cellars is a culinary journey featuring everything from delectable Oysters to mouthwatering Steaks. As the name suggests, the wine list is carefully curated, ensuring there's something to suit every palate.

During my initial visit, my friend Laura and I chose to sit at the bar, where we savored the Beet Salad with Roasted Beets, Heirloom Tomato, Grilled Apple, Mixed Greens, Pecans and feta, drizzled with a tasty Honey-Shallot Camden Chard Dressing. We followed this with the CV Flatbread, adorned with Cheese, Local Dates, Prosciutto, Arugula, and LQ Olive Oil—an excellent blend of sweet and salty. The bartender that evening, one of the owners, recommended a wine that perfectly complemented our choices.

On my second visit, a Tuesday evening Rodney Strong Wine Tasting event beckoned that Michael and I attended with some friends, Debbie and David. Despite the chilly weather, the patio heaters kept us comfortable. Post-tasting, we moved inside for dinner.

Their Oyster Po' Boy, featuring Freshly Shucked Oysters in a Buttermilk-Cornmeal Crust with Lettuce, Heirloom Tomato and Remoulade, was a hit for both the guys. Debbie opted for the Grilled Salmon—a Seared Center Cut Salmon Filet on Avocado and Quinoa Salad with a Camden Cellars Pinot Noir Reduction—earning it her approval. My choice, the Camden Burger, featuring a Signature Angus Blend with a Seared Burgundy Crust and topped with Artisanal Blue Cheese on their Special Bun, was a flavor-packed delight.

Reasonable prices, attentive service, and the consistently high quality of food and wine left us all thoroughly pleased. Camden Cellars Wine Bar has become a welcome addition to the neighborhood, providing a fantastic dining experience.

49990 Jefferson St, Unit 110, Indio, CA 92201

760.776.7030

Monday - Friday
2 pm to 10 pm

Saturday - Sunday

12 pm to 10 pm

Dining Around The Desert: DSRT CLUB, La Quinta

Another creation brought to you by the owners of RD RNNR. In developing a sister restaurant to RD RNNR, they set out to create a social club atmosphere that draws inspiration from the lore of Desert nostalgia. In their journey through the development of the name and design, they came across a true desert classic in The Desert Club. This vintage establishment was built in the late 1930’s and closed in the late 1980’s. With the 1940s and 1950s marking the major success of The Desert Club, they envisioned a restaurant that brought back the swanky essence of those years here in the Desert.

With the intent to restore some vintage dining to the “cove”, they hope to establish a feeling of an upscale classic that is reminiscent of “nostalgic” Desert vibes. They are focused on offering a great feel in ambiance, amazing food and exceptional service, all wrapped in a tight bow.

The original Desert Club was affiliated with the Peter Pan Woodland Club in Big Bear. In the 1930s the Desert Club was initially offered only to members of the Peter Pan Club. As the Depression set in, the idea to offer Desert Club membership was conceived as an incentive to purchase home sites in the La Quinta Cove.

Michael and I and a couple of our neighbors, Joel & Vicki, had dinner at the DSRT CLUB this past weekend. We arrived early for our reservation and were promptly seated at my favorite table in the bar area.

We all enjoyed the makeover of the space. A little bit of Hotel Bel Air combined with the Pink Cabana in Indian Wells is the vibe.

We all tried a cocktail to start. I had the Lime in the Coconut, Espolon Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, Lime, Agave, Sea Salt, and Nutmeg. Very light and refreshing.

Michael had the Dirty Lipa. Grey Goose, Olive Juice, Picle & Blue Cheese Olive Garnish. He said it was fantastic!

The four of us split a couple of orders of the Twice Cooked Octo. Grilled Spanish Octopus, Toasted Coconut Cream, Passion Fruit with Baby Purple Chips and Cilantro. We all thought it was done very nicely, and I’d definitely have it again.

Vicki and Joel shared a Caesar Salad. The Crisp White Anchovy and Spanish Pumpkin Seeds with Grilled Parmesan Croutons were a nice touch.

For Entrees, I had the “Wide Open” Back Mussels “N” Wine. The Mussels were cooked with Fennel, Dijon, and Chablis, and served over Bucatini with a Basil Aioli. A nice piece of Parm Grilled Bread was included to sop up any sauce.

Michael had the Half “Red” Chicken, Annatto Marinated Free Range Chicken, Grilled Squash, Grilled Scallions, and a Red Butter Sauce. He said it was the best chicken he’s had in a restaurant.

Vicki had the Smoked Salmon Tacos with Smoked Salmon Belly, Frisee, Shaved Radish, Strawberry Salsa, and Cream.

Joel had the Pork Loin and Potatoes. Breaded Pork Loin, Mustard Seed, Warm Potato Salad, Pickled Onion, Fresh Parsley, and Grilled Lemon.

Everything was cooked perfectly, and everyone was a happy camper.

One note about the service. Our server, Tonya, was truly the epitome of professionalism. She was personable, knowledgeable, and probably the best server we’ve had in a very long time. One of my team members, Lauren, had dinner there last week and echoed our thoughts about Tonya.

DSRT CLUB is an excellent addition to the desert dining scene, and we are looking forward to returning soon.

DSRT CLUB
760-777-7424 [email protected] 78075 Main St. #105 La Quinta, CA 92253
https://desertclublq.com

Dining Around The Desert: Broadway by Amar Santana, Laguna Beach

Michael and I recently headed down to Laguna Beach for my mom’s birthday. We had reservations at Broadway by Amar Santana as we’d watched him on Top Chef, we really liked his personality, and his cooking looked terrific.

A bit about the restaurant: Inspired by the theaters in New York City, award-winning Chef Amar Santana alongside restauranteur Ahmed Labbate creates an atmosphere where the food becomes the main show.

The restaurant’s menu is inspired by the creativity of Chef Amar Santana and his version of Modern Cuisine of The Americas. It features top-quality ingredients, focusing on local farms that can provide the menu’s seasonal requirements.

The interior reflects an industrial New York look with an open kitchen that is the center stage, with six coveted seats at the chef’s table overlooking the activity of the kitchen. Chef Amar Santana will personally create and prepare a multiple-course menu to those guests that choose to be adventurous with their cuisine.

It was packed and jumping at 6:30 pm on a Friday in July. We were seated immediately, the service was attentive, and the servers were extremely knowledgeable.

We had them open a nice bottle of wine that we had brought with us, and we let that breathe while we ordered appetizers to share. 

We had a couple of Roasted Heirloom Beet Salads with whipped Feta, red wine shallot vinaigrette, watercress, and pistachios. I eat a lot of beet salads, and this one was unique due to the whipped Feta, which was great. We also shared the Housemade Focaccia with sundried tomato, parmesan, and whipped butter. We could have eaten multiple loaves! The kicker was the Crisp French Fries with chipotle aioli. The best fries ever.

For our second courses, I had the Herb Roasted Mediterranean Branzino with cauliflower puree, pickled clam shell mushroom, and truffle jus. Michael had the Thyme Basted Sonoma Duck Breast with an endive marmalade, duck confit stuffed apricot, sunchoke puree, and cassis duck jus. My mom enjoyed the Lamb Tagliatelle with slow-braised lamb ragout, mint pesto, fresh horseradish, and shaved parmesan.

For dessert, we shared the Oh Beehive, which is a lemon goat cheese mousse, honeycomb, elderflower, and honey ice cream, the Lemon Ricotta Fritters with lemon cream and rosemary honey, and the Chocolate Praline Crunch with salted caramel ice cream, and candied hazelnuts. On top of that, they brought the birthday girl a Bourbon Vanilla Bean Panacotta with strawberry sorbet, chocolate pearls, and tarragon.

Between courses, we spent time with Amar, who was a delight. He’s personable, down to earth, and the same as he appears on Top Chef. He and I discussed some chefs we had in common as I worked for Wolfgang Puck at the original Spago years ago, and Amar knows Wolf. He told us quite a bit about the experience of being on the show and its effect on his business, which is considerable. It truly made our evening, and my mom had a great time.

Absolutely everything was top-notch. It was a fun, tasty experience, and we’ll be back the next time we are in Laguna Beach.

BROADWAY BY AMAR SANTANA

328 Glenneyre Street

Laguna Beach, CA 92651

949.715.8234

949.715.8241 F

[email protected]

Hours and Services

We are currently open for dining Monday – Sunday. Our current hours are as follows:

SUNDAY – WEDNESDAY 5:00 pm – 9 pm

THURSDAY 5:00 pm – 9:30 pm

FRIDAY – SATURDAY 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm

We are open for Curbside Pickup and accepting online orders every day.

Dining Around The Desert: Luna’s Bar & Grill, Indio

A new restaurant located at the Canopy at Citrus in Indio

Michael and I have recently enjoyed several meals with some of our Griffin Ranch neighbors at a brand new spot right by the Ralph’s on Jefferson and 50th in the still under construction, Canopy at Citrus.

Luna’s Bar & Grill features a diverse menu with something for everyone without being overwhelming.

For appetizers, we’ve shared a Traditional Caesar, a Burrata Flatbread salad with field greens, fresh burrata, shaved prosciutto and a balsamic vinaigrette, and Crispy Calamari with a sweet chili dipping sauce. The Flatbread was great, and we’d have that again.

For my main course, I stuck with the Ahi Tuna Stack with avocado, cucumber, mango, soy vinaigrette, and sriracha aioli. Great presentation and very flavorful. Michael had the Boxer (Meat Lovers) Pizza with mozzarella, applewood smoked bacon, Italian sausage, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon and gave it excellent reviews.

Our friends had everything from California Sanddabs, Chicken Picatta, the Luna’s Burger with applewood smoked bacon, melted blue cheese crumbles, caramelized onions, lettuce, and spicy mayo on a brioche bun to Rigatoni Bolognese, and the Greek Gourmet Pizza with pesto, mozzarella, grilled chicken, artichokes, spinach, and caramelized onions.

Luna’s has a nice bar with a handful of signature drinks. I tried the Cucumber Martini, and our friends tried the Spicy Watermelon Margarita and the Blackberry Margarita. They have a nice wine list as well.

Everyone had nothing but good things to say about their meals, and it’s sure to become a local’s favorite. It’s reasonably priced, the service is attentive, and they put out a consistently fresh, tasty, and well-made product.

LUNAS BAR & GRILL
HOURS OF OPERATION
Lunch: 11:30am-3:00pm
Dinner: 5:00pm-9:00pm
Closed Monday and Tuesday
Take Out available 12:00am-9:00pm
* reservations are highly recommended.
Phone: 442-400-3827
Address: 49830 Jefferson St, Suite 100, Indio, CA 92201